Neuropsychopharmacology News and Research

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23rd ECNP Congress press conference

The incidence of psychotic disorders varies greatly across places and demographic groups, as do symptoms, course, and treatment response across individuals. High rates of schizophrenia in large cities, and among immigrants, cannabis users, and traumatised individuals reflect the causal influence of environmental exposures. This, in combination with progress in the area of molecular genetics, has generated interest in more complicated models of schizophrenia aetiology that explicitly posit gene-environment interactions.

30 Aug 2010

An overview of Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders

Schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders are a chronic and often disabling condition. Despite modern treatment techniques they still present an enormous burden to the patients and their relatives and take a serious toll in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure.

30 Aug 2010

Disulfiram drug effective in treating cocaine addiction: Research

Doctors have used the drug disulfiram to help patients stay sober for several decades. It interferes with the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, giving a fierce hangover to someone who consumes even a small amount of alcohol.More recently, disulfiram was shown to be effective in treating cocaine addiction as well, even though alcohol and cocaine affect the nervous system in different ways.

27 Aug 2010

23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress to be held 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2010 in Amsterdam

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

26 Aug 2010

Scientists identify chemical system effective in cocaine-addiction cure

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug."We found that the amount of blood flow in areas of the brain known to be involved in the rewarding effects of cocaine and craving was different in cocaine addicts, compared with healthy subjects," said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and lead author of a study that appeared in Neuropsychopharmacology. "Now we have a new target for pharmacologic intervention."

11 Aug 2010

Research findings open new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases

For the first time, scientists have linked a brain compound called kynurenic acid to cognition, possibly opening doors for new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. When researchers decreased the levels of kynurenic acid in the brains of mice, their cognition was shown to improve markedly, according to the study, which was published in the July issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

1 Jul 2010

UCL scientists explain Parkinson's disease patients' ICBs

Scientists at UCL have explained Parkinson's patients' risky behaviour, a rare side effect of standard treatments for the disease. The finding has implications for future medication of patients.

23 Jun 2010

Coffee consumption not related to alertness

The stimulatory effects of caffeine may be nothing more than an illusion according to new research, which shows there is no real benefit to be gained from the habitual morning cup of coffee.

4 Jun 2010

Study shows direct cellular interaction between endocannabinoids and alcohol in the brain

In findings that should finally put to rest a decade of controversy in the field of neurobiology, a team at The Scripps Research Institute has found decisive evidence that a specific neurotransmitter system-the endocannabinoid system-is active in a brain region known to play a key role in the processing of memory, emotional reactions, and addiction formation. The new study also shows that this system can dampen the effects of alcohol, suggesting an avenue for the development of drugs to combat alcohol addiction.

13 May 2010

Closer to understanding age-related memory loss and drug to boost memory

The world's scientific community may be one step closer to understanding age-related memory loss, and to developing a drug that might help boost memory. In an editorial published May 7 in Science, J. David Sweatt, Ph.D., chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Neurobiology, says that drugs known as histone deacetylase inhibitors are showing great promise in stopping memory loss - and even in boosting the formation of memory in animal models.

7 May 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals reports lower net loss allocable to common stockholders in fourth-quarter 2009

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

12 Mar 2010

New research using MRI shows that childhood stress can lead to structural brain changes

New research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows that childhood stress such as abuse or emotional neglect, in particular when combined with genetic factors, can result in structural brain changes, rendering these people more vulnerable to developing depression. The study led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin has just been published in the international scientific journal, Neuropsychopharmacology.

25 Feb 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals' lorcaserin demonstrates low abuse potential

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported that positive data from a clinical trial evaluating the abuse potential of lorcaserin were presented in a poster session at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Data from the trial demonstrate that the risk for abuse associated with lorcaserin is very low.

11 Dec 2009

Researchers identify individualized treatments for pathological gambling

Pathological gambling can be successfully treated with medications that decrease urges and increase inhibitions, according to researchers at the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

10 Dec 2009

ACNP 2009 to feature research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction

The 2009 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting will feature innovative research on PTSD, biomarkers for schizophrenia and treatment for gambling addiction.

10 Dec 2009

Biomarkers can be important in identifying PTSD symptoms, says researchers

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) frequently experience high rates of PTSD along with symptoms of depression and pain. However, little is known about why these symptoms occur together or the most effective treatments that can be used to alleviate them. One approach that may yield new insights is to search for biomarkers -- indicators of a biological state that can be easily and reliably measured in people with an illness -- to see if their presence or absence can predict symptoms that an individual will experience and identify optimal treatment strategies.

9 Dec 2009

CeNeRx BioPharma's TriRima reversibly inhibits MAO-A, confirms PET imaging study

CeNeRx BioPharma, Inc., a clinical stage company developing innovative treatments for diseases of the central nervous system, today announced that a newly published PET imaging study in human subjects confirms that CeNeRx's novel compound TriRima(TM) reversibly inhibits MAO-A (monoamine oxidase A), an enzyme in the brain that plays a key role in the regulation of mood.

8 Dec 2009

Jean-Pol Tassin honored with the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award

The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) is pleased to announce Jean-Pol Tassin as the recipient of the 2009 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award in Basic Science Research in recognition of his pioneering and innovative research into the neurochemical basis of substance addiction.

24 Sep 2009

Winner of the 2009 ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award

23 Sep 2009

Scientific program to treat and prevent mental disorders

Mental disorders are a global problem and represent one of the biggest challenges for health care systems. In the world, there are some 500 million people suffering from mental disorders, and in the European Union, mental disorders range as one of the leading causes of disease burden.

14 Sep 2009